Binding a director's vision into an expressive frame is the job of a cinematographer. No camera, no movie, is the simple equation. But the simplicity comes from the finesse. This year the contenders in the Best Cinematography category have all stayed away from digital processes in one or the other. Natural lighting has been the buzzword and Academy seems to think the same.
In this category, legends like Roger Deakins, Robert Richardson, and John Seale are competing with new blood and winner of the previous two years, Emmanuel Lubezki.
Let's take a look at the nominees before I tell you who I am going to put my money on.
Carol, Ed Lachman
Edward Lachman is collaborating with director Todd Haynes for the fourth time. His first Oscar nomination came for Far From Heaven, another Haynes movie, in 2002.
For Carol, Lachman played with magentas and greens to frame his characters. In a Variety interview, he said that he wanted to show the solid nature of both the women. Therefore, he kept the lighting warm.
Lachman used a naturalistic approach and the tones are muted and subtle. Even when the situation is tense, Carol and Therese have no sharp edges.
The Hateful Eight, Robert Richardson
This is Robert Richardson's 9th Academy nomination. He has won the award three times before for JFK, The Aviator and Hugo. Richardson has worked extensively with Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino.
Richardson and Tarantino have collaborated on all his movies since Kill Bill. The best part of The Hateful Eight is that it used 65 mm film. There is no digitisation. Because of that, Richardson had no room for mistakes
They planned the entire process for 8 weeks before beginning the actual shoot. Wide-screen images give grandness to an otherwise tightly packed film. The technicalities alone make Richardson a strong contender.
Mad Max: Fury Road, John Seale
Seale came out of retirement for Mad Max. His other noted works are Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Dead Poet's Society, Talented Mr. Ripley and Prince of Persia, to name a few. He won his first Oscar for The English Patient in 1996.
Shoot for Mad Max began with 3500 storyboards. Seale managed 20 cameras during the shoot of the film. There were numerous rigs created to take moving shots and for the maddening action scenes.
The Revenant, Emmanuel Lubezki
The current winner, who is fondly called 'Chivo', meaning 'goat' in Spanish, could be looking at creating history with a third consecutive win. He previously won the golden statue for Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity and Alejandro G Inarritu's Birdman.
For The Revenant, Inarritu and Lubezki had decided to shoot in complete natural light in order to not lose the harshness of the weather. That left them with a very short of a window to work with every day.
The introductory shot is another signature Lubezki camera movement. The camera runs with the characters, changing points of view and looking at events unfolding as a third party. Panoramic shots of the glaciers only add to the misery DiCaprio's character is facing.
.
Sicario, Roger Deakins
Roger Deakins is a cinematography legend. I would compare him to Leonardo DiCaprio when it comes to winning an Oscar. Nominated 13 times now with no win so far.
Sicario is again textbook Deakins. Wide shots of barren land at the US-Mexican border are followed by documentary style close-ups of the characters.
The best part of Sicario is the interchange of infrared and thermal imaging when DEA is going down the tunnel. The second best part is the sunset shot right before the agents are to go down those tunnels.
Who will win: John Seale for Mad Max: Fury Road
Winner last year:- Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman
